Locals react to Rep. Matt Gaetz leading the charge to oust Kevin McCarthy

Florida Panhandle Congressman Matt Gaetz has dominated the national news this week as he led the rebellion tooust Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House.

Tuesday was the end of McCarthy’s nine-month run, with a historic 216-210 vote that removed him from leadership. For some, this may seem a bit like déjà vu. In January, Gaetz was outspoken in his opposition to McCarthy as speaker and only voted “present” on the 15^th round of voting.

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Constituents in Northwest Florida were watching the news unfold.

Supporters of Gaetz, like Scott from Navarre, said they think he made the right move.

“I don't know all the details, but I know that I like Gaetz, and I trust his judgment,” said Scott, a business owner in Navarre, while eating breakfast in a local Waffle House. He declined to give a last name. “As of right now, I trust Matt Gaetz’s decision.”

As a business owner, Scott said he appreciates that Gaetz “fights for the small guy like me.”

“Gaetz is an actual local, and I support people that have like minds, like me, in the area,” he added.

Scott is also supportive of Don Gaetz,who just announced he will be running for District 1 in the Florida Senate. The seat is now held by Doug Broxson, who is leaving office due to term limits.

“His mom and dad. I know a little bit about their history, and they seem to be great people. And I think with good parents, you have a good kid usually, typically.”

Jim Bryant, from Illinois, is in town for a family reunion. He grew up in Cantonment and keeps updated on national and state news. He watched as Rep. Gaetz set the wheels in motion for Kevin McCarthy to be voted out.

“I thought it was great,” he said with a laugh. “

While North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry has taken the role of interim speaker, he will only preside over the vote and selection of the chamber’s next speaker. Right now, there is only speculation about who that could be. But Bryant isn’t worried.

“I look at it like this. It's all going to work its way out one way or the other,” he said. “And besides, you know, dealing with politicians, it’s all politics. It’s ‘who's the best’ (and) ‘who thinks they're the best.’”

Gary Boutwell of Pensacola said he thought McCarthy should never have been speaker.

“I think he was too much of a liberal in the first place and, we need somebody that's a conservative that really, will work for the American people and not just whatever the Democrats say,” he added.

He said he was “pleased” with Gaetz’s actions to remove McCarthy, but admitted that the Florida Congressman may not be for everyone.

“Yeah, I think he gets a little carried away sometimes, but I was pleased with the outcome,” he said. “And, he is I guess they call him a ‘Firebrand.’ And we need that. We need somebody that's going to fight and, not just sit back and let things happen.”

Asked if he was a strong supporter of Matt Gaetz in the 2024 election, Boutwell said he was a “strong conservative.”

“And, since he is a strong conservative, yeah. I'd support him.”

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Boutwell compares Gaetz to Donald Trump, whom Gaetz has aligned with since 2016.

“Just like Trump, I don't like his personality sometimes, but what he did for the country, I think was good, and I think he'll do it again if he gets elected,” he said.

Now, Boutwell is looking to see who the picks are for speaker. Gaetz should not be on the list, he said.

“I think that's going to be a challenge and, Gaetz is not ready for that,” he said. “He would not be a choice, but I'm not sure who else we've got that would be. But it needs to be somebody really conservative.”

But not everyone was impressed by Gaetz’s actions. Mark from Pensacola said he watched the news in passing. He wasn’t surprised.

“(I’m) not really into Matt Gaetz’s politics, but I feel like Kevin McCarthy kind of inserted himself into that position anyway, so I feel like it wouldn't have been long before the Republicans ousted him anyway,” he said.

Mark is registered as a non-party affiliate. He’s never voted for Gaetz and wasn’t even aware of him until a few years ago when he was being investigated by the Justice Department for sex trafficking. The investigation concluded its case with no charges against the Florida congressman.

Watching the news this week, Mark said he thinks Gaetz’s actions are “extremely politically motivated.”

“I think he’s a grandstander.”